Agenzia Fides

Bucharest (Agenzia Fides) - “Charity soul of mission” is the theme chosen for Mission Sunday this year, on 22 October, by Pope Benedict XVI who in his special Message for the occasion urges Christians to live and consider the Church’s universal mission starting from the source: “In fact, God's love for every person constitutes the heart of the experience and proclamation of the Gospel, and those who welcome it in turn become its witnesses”. Consequently every Christian who has received this gift is called to take part in the Church’s mission.
In Rumania, in the diocese of Bucharest, the community of Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate OMI has planned various initiatives to foster deeper understanding of the theme proposed by the Pope to increase missionary awareness among the faithful, children in particular. During the month of OMI mission days held in the different parishes in the diocese of Bucharest will be “a good opportunity to understand ever better that the witness of love, the soul of the mission, concerns everyone. Indeed, serving the Gospel should not be considered a solitary adventure but a commitment to be shared by every community.” (Message for Mission Sunday 2006).
Mission is a responsibility for the whole Church and the Pope recalls that besides men and women missionaries directly involved in evangelisation “many others, children and young people, adults with prayers and cooperation help in different ways to spread the Kingdom of God on earth”. The children who help in their own way the missionary activity of the Church will be involved in initiatives for the missionary month of October. The Oblates will have meetings with pupils at Catholic primary schools, the youngest ones. Rumanian Catholic children are called to live the gift of the Spirit received at baptism.
The first community of Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in Rumania was opened in 1998 at Maracineni a second was opened in 2003 at Roman. In the diocese of Bucharest the Oblates collaborate with youth pastoral, preach in parish missions, give courses of ongoing formation for consecrated men and women and in the deanery of Craiova they accompany lay people and families in the Christian way of life. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 4/10/2006; righe 26; parole 340)